Okay, starting with my 8th week back in FNM, I'm just going to add to this topic weekly vs. starting new ones each week. I still have the feeling no one else is out there on these boards though the "reads" seems to go up. Weird, eh?!

I was tired from a long day of real estate hunting and work, but went anyway! I was quite satisfied with my focus in drafting this week and was VERY close to a 3-1 finish, but split after a close loss to Will, the eventual 1st place on the night.

Charged out of the gate with a 2-0 match win over John's essentially mirror colors. The playset of Midnight Guards really helped me keep up the pressure. Will again tore into me with black and green and flyer destruction, but I took the 2nd game of the 2nd match to force a third contest. Ultimately, the match hinged on his Tree of Redemption essentially ending my mad assault on his life total. Got him to 6 and stalled out for the match loss. Then faced Brian's quick, efficient RG werewolves and lost both games rather quickly. I finally faced Mike and beat his rather confused tri-colored deck in two games. He said he'd really not seen good in any colors throughout the draft.

Lost the first match 2-1 to Brian (shopkeeper!). Then a draw vs. John (who reminded me strongly of the lead nerd on The Big Bang Theory,but I digress... ). Another draw vs. Neil. Got him to 1 life before time and turns expired on the last game. Grrrrr! Lost 2-0 vs. Steve's mill. A couple of key counters also sealed my fate. Overall, my land really started clumping and leaving me hanging frequently with a hand full of good stuff and needing that 4th or 5th land. Usually by the time I got it, I'd lost early initiative time and again. Next time, faster and think about 17 lands if I can't snag an Evolving Wilds...

Door prizes: I won nothing! Bought myself some cool vampire woman-child art sleeves as a consolation for my tortured soul. Other notable draft cards I didn't use - Battleground Geist and a Hollowhenge Spirit. Oh, and two FOILS - Gnaw to the Bone and Burning Vengenance.

All rares into the pool! I went 13th (uggh) and got: Angelic Overseer, Heartless Summoning, and Undying Horde.

Out to a 2 - 0 match start with 2-0 wins over Dakota and John. Dakota had a 64 card mass of confusion. John was running the same colors as I. Brian then rolled me 2-0 with GW. I then went up against Bill, losing 2-1 to his RG.

High point of the night was sending some 30+ points of damage at John after having played Thatcher Revolt with a Goldnight Commander out!

Door prizes: Got a sweet vamp playmat ($15 value) and a FOIL Ancient Grudge. Other notable draft cards I didn't use - Into the Void, Second Guess, Stern Mentor, Homicidal Seclusion, Blessings of Nature, and a FOIL Mental Agony.

All rares into the pool! I went 7th and got: Terminus, Harvester of Souls, and Gloom Surgeon.

My FNM record after 10 weeks: 13-23-4

Received my pre-ordered booster box and fat pack -which are still unopened as I write. Got a FOIL promo Restoration Angel and a Silverblade Paladin as well for pre-order and FNM.

After Bill busted my chops for admitting I let Hound of Griselbrand go and it wound up with Zach, I drew Bill in the first match, and lost quickly in 2 games. I then recovered against Jeremy 2-1. Second game of that match was a mana drought loss exacerbated by my refusal to mulligan off 1 land. I then faced and beat Michael 2-1 with another game two repeat of my mistake. The two middle matches saw my Triumph of Ferocity make a big card draw difference. Robin then took me down 2-0. Second game was a long affair of both of us lining the board with creatures. I milled myself with the Triumph. In hindsight, I should have been swinging onto attack each turn to try and overcome his human token build-up.

I built a WG - I was not impressed. First card picked was a Restoration Angel, but the overall deck was too slow and not focused. I'm not even gonna post the list this week.

Played to a draw with Issac vs. his RW deck. His Commander's Authority and Defang really shut me down. Third game could have been anyone but time got us. I then faced off with Gary running BGW and lost two close games. Misplays of Joint Assault and NOT soulbonding early in the first game saw him survive from just 2 life when he did the Goldmine Commander/Thatcher Revolt on me and swung for 27. He also had an activated deathtouch flyer, but the soulbond paired with it was covering the deathtouch, so I swung in and he activated. Second game was still a chance for me, but my early waste of yes, Joint Assault, made the difference. I played better, but the mental mistakes did the trick in my downfall. Corey worked me over in two quick games with Demons.
I drew a bye and tended my wounds.

Beat Zach's U/W 2 - 1. I took the last game. I beat Ian's U/R mess 2- 0. He did get a Mind Sculpt off on me,but I was able to knock out his few creatures as they appeared and rush in with my many. I then ran into the impregnable wall that is Will. I lost 2 - 0 to his U/R. It was faster, and he once again wrings every thing out of his drafts. I recovered for my best night at FNM by beating Jacob 2 - 0. The match was closer than the record as he got life gain on the field twice and I struggled to rein it in.

Draft tonight was good, except confused - the second pack saw a card mix-up as my passing bubba on the left sent me two cards three times...! I halted things when the first time it happened, I was supposed to have three. Grrrrr! Could have been the FOUR new drafters at our table of eight.

Door prizes: A pack of 50 sleeves - which I promptly gave to the new Magic player Other notable draft cards I didn't use - Arms Dealer, Rewind, and Torch Fiend.

All rares into the pool! I went 3rd and got: Primordial Hydra, Krenko, Mob Boss, Silklash Spider, and Reverberate.

Drew Mike my first match - he'd been to my immediate right, and I knew I'd given him some good stuff. He beat me 2 -1 with his B/G. I was withing 4 points of taking him out on a fast first game, when he landed the 7/7 green mythic I'd passed on...

Draft tonight was okay. I went for good commons and uncommons, and passed some game breakers that to me, were just too expensive to make it out in draft.

Door prizes: I got to pick a "gaming accessory under $14, I think? I picked a $3.50 deck box that is in Obama poster colors and says "NOPE" to a fizzling wizard. Other notable draft cards I didn't use - Augur of Bolas, Fog Bank, Knight of Infamy, Gem of Unbecoming, and Reliquary Tower. 13 uncommons and 2 FOILS all told

All rares into the pool! Wonder what Julie will pull for me! Oh wait, that sounds bad...

Week 15 - Friday Night Magic: 3 packs of M13. Sixteen players! I almost didn't go - super tired from so many non-Magic endeavors. Figured maybe I'd drop again, after two rounds. But then I drew a Thundermaw Hellkite opening the 2nd pack, and I figured I'd stay...

Started off with the Beast Tracker, so green stood out mostly. The Hellkite brought me harder into red, though I had been aiming at some blue for a second, taking ten cards overall. I took some black more for hate than planning. Also took Captain of the Watch for pure hate.

Sideboard:
1 Farseek
1 Ranger's Path
1 Ring of Xathrid - more of a hate draft along with 2 Harbor Bandits I took...)

Lost my first game to Mason's UBR - I scooped as things got a bit dire and confusing. Seemed like my call to not come or drop early was looking psychic. But then things started clicking. Mana and creatures coming just right, though the rest of the match was dicey close. I did teach him about card advantage - shooting a creature as he played an enchantment on it. Won the match on few mistakes and some untimely tapped out spots of his that let me finish him before he got Bolas on the table. Then played two tough, but extremely fun games against Ben and his GB (with 4 Rancors!!! I saved and used my Mark of Mutiny in both games to make a finishing difference - very close, well-fought games. Had he attacked more aggressively, I'd probably lost at least one here. Then it was a 2-1 match win over Josh, with him taking the middle game on the artifact mill of me primarily. Mana flood wrecked his chance to take the match from me. And finally, up against Sams' mono-red. I beat him 2- 0 on the strength of removing Krenko twice and getting key cards out in timely fashion.

Mana start and draw was generally good all night, though I had key moments waiting, hoping for the fifth in a couple places.

Door prizes: Meh, none, but hell, who cares? I won my first FNM!! Earned me the Avacyn's Pilgrim shiny promo, first rare pick (thus the Hellkite) and 14 PwPoints.

Rares to the table, and I got the Thundermaw Hellkite, Dragonskull Summit, Disciple of Bolas, and Spelltwine.

Other notable draft cards I didn't use - Jace's Phantasm, Rewind, Switcheroo, and Public Execution.

Lost first match to John's mono-green - lotsa spiders didn't help me, and even when I got out to good starts, his speed caught up quickly. Drew a bye in the second round, and then beat Mason - again, he had Bolas, but never out. I got him mostly through good timing and aggressiveness. I then beat Sams, managing to stay ahead. My last match, fifth round was a 2-1 loss to Ian's RB. His game style is quite annoying, and I let it get to me more than once. I slowed the pace and took the middle game, but that was it. His red shaman twice got my Switcheroo and helped turn the tide.

In summary, the Augur frustrated me the majority of the time I played it, bury land or creatures I needed. In retrospect, I should have carried the Downpour. Got Ajani out rarely, and he did win me one game, but I found that second Plains could be maddeningly slow, so maybe grabbing one of those Evolved Wilds would have been the ticket. Bit higher CMC this week, but mana was mostly good. Those couple tweaks could have been all the difference!

Door prizes: Zip, nada.

Rares from the table at the end: I got the FOIL Odric, and traded it to John immediately for a non-FOIL just cuz. Also grabbed the Elvish Archdruid, and the Phylactery Lich.

I took Nefarox, Overlord of Grixis as my first card and began robbing black, waiting for my 2nd color to identify itself. That color was blue. I hate drafted Garruk 2nd pack, 2nd card, but never seriously entertained switching to green. Also took the Rhox Faithmender, and Faith's Reward out of a wee bit of hate.

Lost first match 2 -0 to Bill's U/G - out of the gate okay, but land issues and creatures never kept up. His islandwalkers in the first game were the mainstay of a solid creature flow. His Acididc Slime on my lone Swamp in the second game sealed the match away from me. I then faced and beat Steve 2 - 0. I think it was U-something?! Never felt threatened. I then faced and beat Neil's B/W/R 2 - 0. Tougher match with the second game going to time and me winning by the skin of my nose. I had so much firepower,I didn't know what to do, and was over-thinking! I lost a heartbreak match 2 - 0 to Zak's U/G/W. Both games got him to 1. He always seemed to have the right card just in time. We both had some common blue. I then took out Mike 2 - 1. He was running U/W, but I was flowing creatures well, including the pro. white Knight for the 2nd game. Overall 3 - 2 in matches, and 6 - 5 in games. 8 of 22 players overall.

Door prizes: Won a Legion brand deck box "Dues Ex Magica."

Rares from the table at the end: I got a Talrand, Sky Summoner, the DrownedCatacomb, and a Master of the Pearl Trident.